Some timeous and thought provoking words from a brave man, Dave Claxton, not afraid to question and propose a new way of thinking:

At the outset let it be known that this is not about 'sour grapes'. This is about sailing.

I have been watching quietly from the sidelines for some time, hesitant to speak out for all the wrong reasons, but now, as I see things how the cards are falling, I figure its time for someone to say something.

The bottom line. After years of successful races, and a very successful 2008 event which rode on the coat tails of RNYC's 150th anniversary, the 2009 Vasco is in danger of regressing. The publication of the Notice of Race (with errors) only 6 short weeks before the start of the race, and the all too late distribution of associated documentation is appalling. It is appalling for so many reasons:

* The race has to compete on its own strengths against other Southern African ocean races. As a result of poor marketing, the event has lost a lot of the positive impetus the 2008 race afforded the current organizers.

* All sailing events compete for sailors 'leave days'. Boat owners can afford time off from work, employees can't, and this applies to 90% of the crew involved in such a race. They have to make choices, and plan their sailing calendars well in advance. Events which receive early good, solid marketing and 'hype' and show signs of excellent planning will always get the nod ahead of the rest. The Western Cape have upped their game considerably in the past 2 years and still the KZN sailors live in this cuckoo land where they believe their own events will attract out of towners simply by staging them.

* Recently, again especially in the Western Cape, boat owners and clubs have become far more proactive insofar as trying to source meaningful sponsors. The responsibility of looking after a sponsor is immense and hard work. A sponsor looks for meaningful exposure - meaningful means more than having their name on a decal on the side of a boat. Meaningful means more than exposure to just the competitors in an event. It means newspaper, TV and magazine coverage, where the sponsors name is used, again and again. Free tickets to the prize giving just don't cut it. Especially today. The Owner of a boat which has managed to secure sponsorship has a responsibility to enter races which will serve the interests of the sponsor.

* The cost of moving a boat around the country to compete in various events is undeniably high. The cost of participating in the Vasco is considerable. For the very competitive boats, which are by the way the boats you want there, the possibility of blowing out a couple of spinnakers in the race is exceptionally high. Two Spinnakers on a 35 to 45ft yacht will set an owner back many tens of thousands of rands. The owner of such a boat takes his sailing very, very seriously, and will only risk his sailing budget on an event which promises an excellent field of entry, and excellent organization. Any sign of there being a poor quality fleet or poor organization and this owner makes the obvious choice - to sail in another event.

* The failure of the 2009 organizing committee to use the positive momentum generated by the 2008 event, is perhaps its biggest downfall. Last year many visiting crew went home and spread the good word about the Vasco da Gama and there was an expectation of great things to come in 2009 as a natural follow-on.

* The financial downturn will have a detrimental effect on sailing. Less travelling to regattas and races in other regions will be just one of the effects. If the sailing community found difficulty in securing sponsorships in the past - stand by because it's going to get a whole lot tougher.

It seems, as an outsider, that PYC has concentrated on its flagship regatta, the MSC Regatta, at the expense of the Vasco. The stop-start nature of this Vasco, for example the information first distributed by the initial organizing committee, which was thankfully re-distributed recently after a make-over, and the seeming hurried changes and additions in manpower to the 'organizing committee', does it no favours. It brings me to my next statement, which is that Yacht Clubs are generally incapable of taking on too many events in one season. I appreciate how difficult it is for the vast majority of yacht clubs to grow their membership, host smashing regattas, develop the sport along all fronts, and survive economically. What tends to happen is that a small core of willing members get hammered event after event acting as volunteers for the betterment of their club. And there's nothing wrong with that except that it happens all too often, resulting in this people becoming fed up with it, and frankly exhausted. It's not the fault of the clubs, it's simply the way things are - and it's so wrong. If had R5 for every time I heard someone on a club committee say to me ' but that's how it's been done for years', I would be able to sponsor my own race. Yes, it WAS done like that in the good old days, days when the fleets were 10 times the size they are today, and when the club membership was far more involved, more dynamic, and there was a larger percentage of willing bodies to call on for duties. Times have changed. Fewer members, fewer active members, fewer resources mean that Clubs have to start thinking out of the box.

Cycling, Golf, Canoeing, Running, Flying and motor-racing are some sports who have embraced this outlook. Their members participate in their own events rather than organize them, whilst their clubs still retain ownership of the event. Why can't sailing be like this? I venture to suggest that the reason is a four letter word. EGOS. Harsh words but I think they are true enough.

If we look at a club like PYC, simply because they are hosting the Vasco da Gama race for the next 3 years, I reckon they are ideally placed to embrace a new vision. They have an immense amount of expertise and goodwill within their membership. It's not as fresh as it was 10 or 15 years ago, but it is there. Out of all the big clubs in South Africa, it is PYC which has strength in its women. I have noticed over the years that when the PYC wives get involved, things move along very nicely. If the PYC could look at itself and make the decision to admit its weaknesses and its strengths, and change structures accordingly, it could be a powerhouse in the sport. Guys and Girls of PYC, you have the means to contract professional event organizers, give them a brief, and oversee them organizing successful events in your name, and bringing Sponsors to the events to boot! Happy Sailors, Happy Club.

The situation the Vasco is facing today is the exact reason why the Sailing KZN Executive committee, in 2006/7 took the decision to offer the Vasco to the club which tendered the best Bid in terms of the pure interests of the event and sailing. We all know where that ended up, and its best treated as water under the bridge, but I cant help but think that the Vasco would be so much better off today had it been allowed to go through. Whilst this is never going to happen, I do believe that the next logical step is for it and some other key events, to be handed over to a professional organizing entity. There are people in South Africa with the skills to see this succeed to the benefit of the 'hosting Clubs', and the sport in general.

I bear the current Vasco organizing committee no malice. I sincerely hope for their sake and the Sponsors and partner Club in Maputo, but more for the event itself , that 2009 is a hugely successful event. If I have left anyone feeling as though I have attacked them personally - you would be wrong. I am attacking the system. It needs an overhaul.

And please, don't look to SAS to come and tell you how, they too suffer the exact same structure faults as the clubs do.

Come on you sailors, its time we look forward and became proactive in our Sport.

For what its worth,

Dave Claxton